Car-wheel.



F. K. VIAL.

GAR WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 19021.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. K. VIAL.

UAR WEBEL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11, 1908.-

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

AWN/ FREDERICK K. VIAL, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908'.

Application filed August 11, 1908. Serial No. 447,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK K. VIAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Grange, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-lVheels, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a car wheel, more particularly adapted for street railway use, in whichthe metal shall be so distributed as to form a tread section of great strength while at the same time avoiding the massing of a large body of metal inthe tread, thereby interfering with the chillin operation.

, As is we l-known car wheels may be made of sufficient strength by providing them with thick tread sections, but such thick sections are hand to chill, and when used the difiiculty in chilling must be overcome by using a comparatively hard metal. l/Vhile theuse of hard metal results, together with the chilling operation, in producing a. tread of the necessary de ree of hardness, the use of such metal results in introducing other Weaknesses for the reason that the hard metal is too brittle to impart suilicient toughness to the spokes.

In myimproved design of wheel I secure the requisite strength in the tread section not by unduly thickening that section, but by providing a thickened reinforcing rib extending around the wheel at the outer ends of the spokes and some distance inside {of the tread, such reinforcing rib being pang, nected by'transverse tlnckcned portions or ribs with the tread section. By this means I avoid the massing of alarge body of metal in thetread section and provide a wheel in which the thickness of metal in any one place is such that the chilling operation is not interfered with by the rapid flow of heat into the part to be chilled from other parts of the'whee'l. In my improved wheel, there fore, I am enabled to use a comparatively soft mixture by reason'of the fact that the design of the wheel renders it possible to properly chill the tread when a soft mixture is used and obviates. the necessityof relying to so great an extent as heretofore upon the initial hardness. of the mixture used.

The use of a soft mixture results in imparting great toughness to. the spiikes and inteably connected to the hub by wheel at the inner ends of the spokes may also be provided, if desired, feature is not indispensable and the claifns of my invention are not limited thereto, except in those instances where such central rib is particularly specified.

The exterior strengthening rib reinforces the wheel against the heavy internal' s'tresses developed by the friction of the brakes, and

although this not only results in strengthening the wheel in this manner, but also strengthens the spokes by decreasing their length without introducing a substantially greater amount of metal into the wheel. l urthermore, the avoiding of a large mass of metal in the tread and the more uniform distribution of the metal throughout the wheel results in lnore-uniform cooling, thereby obviating one of the principal causes leading to the formation of initial internal stresses.

lVhere a second interior or central strengthening rib is used, it is so'placcd that a channel is formed around the hub. Where used, such a strengthening rib reinforces the hub against bursting when pressed on an axle, and it permits proper spacing of the ..ins1de ends of the spokes,

thereby avoiding sharp corners which are difficult to mold, and leads to a further shortening and consequent strengthening of the spokes.

The interior strengthening rib is prefermeans of transverse or substantially radial strengthening ribs. In a wheel so formed the metal may be effectively distributed by reason'of the fact that the number of transverse on jsubstantially radial strengthening ribs maybe increased from the center of the wheel out'-' Wards. Beginning with the proper number of such ribs between the hub and central strengthenincr rib this number may be in-" creased in tile form of spokes between the central and exterior strengthening ribs, and the spokes themselves, as illustrated, may be formed of a central web reinforced by v coerce "strengthening -rii s. *The' nber of 1 .11 Fig. 3 ii have also shown stren'ening as v verse orj substantiollyirediei m: 12 it fiom the hub to the oen-' ribs between the outer rib and trail port of ench ofthe 1l'11 betw, the tread section meyfs ain be inced, the okes. Gonsiderable latitude, however,

5 thus sec the'most '9; Von, us distrimay e exercised in this matter without de buiinozlillof(5121b:motell lised.v 1

e 1-1. 1 is e si e e eflwra, ribs me be coated wholl votionof a wheel cociod com to upon eithii: side of the Zvheel or W!" i;

:1. fi-omvthe spirit'of my invention end we &

vmy invention, If is o central erse upon one side and partially upon th oer. Y

section. Fig, 3 is onelerehfon ofthe reverse Vi i ile I have shown the ribs 3 and 7 as. cirside ofthe wheel.= line B of Fig. 1. :F the line C of Fig. 2,.- ig. dis-o. section on without dep r1 vthe line D of Fig. 2, rention.

i 5 is a section on it is obvious that they may tekeother forms u fiom the spirit of my in- I v The hub 1 of the wheel is unded'by The-invention herein described is in its a web 2, the outer edge of which is thichenw broadest aspect set i0 and claimed in my 86- at 3 forming a central or interior mengthprior etent No; 869,621, granted October ening rib extending around the wheel. The 29, "I i The specific form of the invention web 2 is also formed with thickened parts 4 dosori in this application is more portionexiending between the hub and the strewn -.lnrly adapted for lighter wh such as vided at each edge with o ckencd o ening'rib 3. Exten outwardly from the street car wheels, and the J herein strengthening rib 3 are the Spokes. In the have :ww drawn to cover such a present instance I have shown each of the I clz' v spokes as consisting of a central web 5 pro- 1. A car wheel 'coinp'w s huh-spokes,

' rib v-4 around the strengthening rib 6. 11 around the outer ends 0 .1; spokes, s tread section, a

outer ends of the hes the outside webconnecting said strhg rib and i strengtheningrib Z, connected with thed trend, said web Wing formed with a plural- Sby the web9. Extending betw %o rib ity of thickened portions or ribs ding 30 7 and the tread 8 are the 1 erse bets? snid first mentionfi strength :1- strengthening ribs 10. in the 1 v stance I have also shown mull webs 11 2. A cor wheel comp chub, spokes, iug the corners between the spokes and tho ocirculor mengtheningrib 41mg arod eoutside and interior stiwg ribs. It the outer ends of the spokes, a tread section, 35 will be understood thot the interior stre w oweb connec i said strengthening rib and ening rib may be o 1| e with, ii trend, soid web using formed with e pland that the v cross secfionoi the ity of ohcned portions or ribs or; Spokes w ism; I to theuso betweenf'anid first'mentioned strong of my invention. L 1 rib end mid trend. 40 Considered in no aspect the specific form 3, A. cor wheel comprising 2, ob, spokes,

of: my improvfl wheel ill in the n strengtheniu rib extending around the drawings may be considered as e up of outer ends of t e o a tread section, :1 a hub and trend section wociled by 21 web, web connecting sai strengthening rib and snid web having an ulzir series of opentrend, said web being formed with a plural- 45 ings, together with thicked portions or ityof thickened portionsor ribs extending stren thenin ribs mw n lor er 1n stren t a I: a g a strengthening ribs 11-1 eround the between said first mentioned strengthening wheel at the inner and outer W o: of rib and said tread, each of said spokes comthese openin s, and ,alsotronsverse or subprising a central web and thickened portions stantially rudial strcngth ribs connector ribs at each edge thereof.

50 ingthe hub with the central strengthening 4. A car wheel comprising a hub, a web rib,.connecting the central strengthening rib extending outwardly from said hub, the with the outside eningrib and com outer pint of said web being thickened to necting the latter with the tread section, the form a central strengthening rib, spokes exnumber of, such transverse or substantially tendin outwardly. from said central boning rib, a trend section, a web exeuchofthe series mentioned in the or or retending fi'om said spokes to said trend secforced to. 11f desired, the various strengthtion, o thickened outer stren thening rib on .eninggribs referred to may project on each tending around the outer ends of said spokes side; of the wheel as illustrated in Fig. 3 in and at the inner edge of said last named web,

160 the case of the strengthening-ribs 6 of the and thickened ribs in said web and extendspokes and in the case of the mner and outer ing between said outer stlengfl 'ening rib strengthening ribs 5v and 7 which 1' shown and said trend section. e

upon the revorseside of wheel as i =5, 5, A cor wheel comprising a hub, a trend acrosthegintoastioes e-ween the on, web sections between .d is a section on the color in form, which is the preferred sbn ie, 75 I rib and said d. 95 I tread section, substantially circular thickened portions extending around the wheel in said Web sections, and other thickened portions or transverse ribs extending between said hub and circular ribs andtreed secion, the number of said transverse ribs increasing toward the outside of the wheel.

FREDERICK K. VIAL.

\Vitnesses:

\VALTER A. Sco'r'r, Enr'rnn M. ANDERSON. 

